Cassy Mullins and her husband, Zach Adams, have found a new location for their storefront business just a few doors down from their original site.
The distance might be short, but the move is a sentimental journey for the Grove City couple.
Their business, Zassy’s Treasures & Design, will be repurposed to become Zassy’s Treasures & Taproom when it opens later this month in the former Grove City Bowling Lanes building at 3940 Broadway.
“It’s really special for us to be able to move our business there, because we met eight years ago at the bowling alley,” Mullins said. “So there’s a lot of sentimental meaning for us to be there.”
In their Zassy’s Treasures business, the couple sells home decor, locally made goods and furniture, specializing in farmhouse home decor.
Many of the items they sell are farmhouse style home decor that they create by repurposing vintage items bought at yard sales, flea markets and estate sales.
“When we opened our first store front (at 3952 Broadway) it was wildly successful, and we quickly outgrew our space,” Mullins said. “We always joked about buying (the bowling alley) so when it became available, it was like a dream come true.”
The store will take up half of the building, providing nearly triple the retail space they had previously, she said.
The couple will open a taproom in the front half of the building.
“We’ll start out with four taps and a wide selection of bottled craft beers,” Mullins said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to add more taps later on.”
The taproom also will serve a light menu, including pizza, potato skins, Italian twisty rolls, chips and salsa manufactured by Westerville-based Ridiculously Good Salsa.
“It’s like the best salsa you’ll ever taste,” Mullins said.
When Mullins and Adams took ownership of the bowling alley in March 2018 and began renovations, about one and a half bowling lanes were still in place.
“We’ve used the bowling alley wood to make the tables for our taproom,” Mullins said. “It’s a good example of what of the kind of repurposing work we do.”
The taproom also will include a door the couple bought at an auction from the Beulah Park race track.
“Grove City’s our hometown, and it’s great to be able to preserve a little bit of the history of the bowling alley and Beulah Park,” she said.
Zassy’s Treasures closed at its former location about two years ago, Mullins said.
“We just decided to continue to hold our pop up sales at our farm and look for a location where we could expand what we can offer,” she said.
The goal is to open the store and taproom on or about Oct. 18, but it could be the end of the month before everything is ready, Mullins said.
As in its previous location, the store will only be open one weekend a month, she said.
The taproom will be open six days a week from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
“We’re looking to create a fun place where you can bring your kids during the day and have a date night out away from the kids in the evening,” Mullins said.
City Council on Sept. 17 approved a special circumstances application filed by Mulllins and Adams for the city’s Town Center Commercial Revitalization grant program.
The program assists businesses and property owners with improving commercial buildings and properties in the Town Center area.
The program provides funding in the form of reimbursement for the cost of improvements at a rate of 50 cents per dollar of private investment, up to a maximum of $5,000 or $10,000. The maximum amount of money available depends on the location of the property within the Town Center. The higher amount is available for properties within the Town Center core and the $5,000 maximum is earmarked for those buildings in the Broadway corridor.
Property owners and businesses can apply for additional funding if they believe their project would qualify for exceptional circumstances.
To qualify as an exceptional circumstance, a project must meet at least three of nine criteria.
In recommending that additional funding be provided for the Zassy’s Treasures and Taproom, development director Kyle Rauch said the couple had listed improvements, costing a total of $76,000, that meet the eligibility criteria under the city’s program.
The improvements included upgrading the building to make it ADA compliant, adding a firewall, improving the HVAC system, upgrading the exterior electrical system, adding an exterior emergency door exit and improving plumbing.
Council approved an exceptional circumstances grant of $25,000.
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